Rather Says He’s Sad for Staff Fired Over Bush Report Scandal

CBS anchor Dan Rather said Tuesday that he felt “sadness and concern” for four colleagues who lost their jobs after an independent panel harshly criticized a “60 Minutes Wednesday” story that questioned President Bush’s military service.

But the veteran newsman added that “good can come from this process” if journalists did their jobs carefully without becoming “afraid to cover important and controversial issues.”

“CBS News is a great institution with a distinct and precious legacy,” Rather wrote in an e-mail to CBS News staffers. “I have seen us overcome adversity before. I am convinced we can do so again.”

CBS dismissed four senior staffers Monday who were involved in preparing and later defending the Sept. 8 “60 Minutes Wednesday” story, which relied on copies of four documents suggesting that Bush received preferential treatment from commanders during his years in the Texas Air National Guard.

In November, Rather announced that he would retire as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” in March.

CBS chief Leslie Moonves said in an interview Monday that Rather would remain at CBS News, working on “60 Minutes Wednesday” and other projects.

After the story aired, many commentators raised questions about the authenticity of the documents, and in a blistering 224-page report released Monday, an independent panel faulted CBS as demonstrating “considerable and fundamental deficiencies” in preparing and defending the story.

Rather’s measured remarks stood in contrast to an e-mail sent to reporters Monday by his longtime producer Mary Mapes, who accused Moonves of “vitriolic scapegoating” in firing her and asking for the resignations of three senior colleagues.

Rather, in his 235-word e-mail, wrote, “Lest anyone have any doubt, I have read the report, I take it seriously, and I shall keep its lessons well in mind.”

But Rather did not address several passages in the report that referred directly to his role in the affair.

The panel suggested that the 73-year-old anchor, who was covering the Republican National Convention and Hurricane Frances late last summer, had minimal involvement in preparing the Bush story and had not seen the segment prior to telecast.

And the panel said it was “troubled” by Rather’s “conflicting statements” during the aftermath of the story. On Sept. 20, the newsman told viewers CBS could no longer vouch for the documents. But, according to the report, he told panel members he disagreed with management’s decision to back away from the Bush story and “still believes that the content of the documents is accurate.”

Kim Akhtar, Rather’s spokeswoman, did not return a call seeking elaboration, and a CBS News representative could not be reached.

Times staff writer Josh Getlin in New York and Times wire services contributed to this report.